Following an interview over the weekend, Shane Watson, and his wife, Lee, have been attacked by some media outlets for their views on iPad usage.

Speaking to Stellar, the former Australian cricketer said he has found it difficult to get his two children, Will and Matilda out of the house.

“We were always trying to get our kids into programs, whether it was kinder gym or sessions at the library,” he said.

“It was about getting them out of the house, [which was] very challenging.”

As most parents would know, having the time and resources to engage kids in activities is often hard. However, the 36-year-old has come under scrutiny for his comments relating to parents using screens as a distraction.

“You can really fall into a lazy way of parenting where you go, ‘Oh, well, I’ll just sit on the couch and watch what I want and give the kids an iPad’.”

According to the Department of Health, a child under the age of one should not spend any time watching television or using any electronic devices. This slightly changes between the ages of two and five, where the Department recommends against any usage, but at the maximum, one hour a day.

Shane’s passion for getting kids outside led him to co-found Let’s Activate with his wife, Lee and former Yellow Wiggle, Greg Page. The business is a sports program designed to engage kids in physical activity, mixing it with music, and developing their confidence and coordination along the way.

Lee, a former journalist and now co-owner of Let’s Activate says that she wants her kids to grow up spending their days outdoors like she did.

“Every day we’re at the park [or] the beach having a good time,” she said.

This isn’t the first time the use of iPads by children has caused division among parents, with Lisa Wilkinson calling any parent who gives one to their child under the age of five “crazy”.

Co-hosts of This Glorious Mess, Holly Wainwright and Andrew Daddo have also debated the importance of iPads or technology in their kids’ lives.

While Andrew adopts a strict no-tech policy, Holly tends to be more liberal.

“He [Andrew] thinks that there’s no place for screens in nature, or in the back of cars on long journeys,” Holly wrote.

Listen: You can hear Andrew and Holly’s debate on iPads…things get interesting. (Post continues after audio.)

“I get the distinct impression that he thinks I’m a weak parent for pining for the glow of the blue light on a cold night.

“But I will not be shamed. If a kid has spent all day -ALL DAY – running around in nature getting muddy and wet and discovering the joys of spider-dodging in the log-pile, there’s nothing wrong with plugging them into a little electronic entertainment to close out the day. Right? RIGHT?”

Lee Watson is also launching her new children’s book, Nothing Happens Outside, which you can buy at any Woolworths, Coles and IGA from January 15 2018.